ladyoflisquill (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyoflisquill) wrote2011-11-27 10:09 pm
ladyoflisquill) wrote2011-11-27 10:09 pm
Entry tags:
Merlin 409: Lancelot du Lac
I accepted something watching yesterday's clusterfuck of an episode. Arthur is not going to find out about Merlin's magic any time soon. There are two reasons for this:
1) Any episode could be easily ended in the first act by Merlin wiggling his fingers and saying "shall I?" Arthur nodding in agreement, followed by Merlin doing his wonderful wordy thing and glowing eyes and then everyone can go to the tavern to celebrate another defeat of the (not so) big bad. Which would be funny but would make for a poor show.
2) This show lives on the angst that is caused by Arthur not knowing or not accepting magic can be good. Take that away and I'm not sure they know what stories to tell.
Both make me really sad, even though I love me some angst, because I think the stories the writers would be challenged to tell when Merlin is finally revealed and accepted by Arthur could be spectacular... could be all we ever wanted from the show and from the legend.
But more than just what can be done if the magic was revealed I think the damage that has been done by not revealing it is starting to hurt the show we have all come to love (and I do still love it). The secret is causing a rift between Arthur and Merlin that we had not seen before. A rift that I feel this season is becoming almost unbearable for Merlin. And into that Gwen, who is one of the only fully realized women on the show, has been sacrificed.
As for this episode, *sigh*. Let me just say I think Bradly, Angel and Colin were amazing. The latter two have been consistently good and Bradley has really shone for me this season. The material they had to work with this episode was the problem. Actually that's not right, the scenes they had together were great but the whole thing just didn't gel together for me. Santiago's Lancelot felt off in more way than one. I do not think this was the actor's fault and I do not think this can be easily explained by him being necromanced (it's a word, right?). There was something unbelievable about him.
The way this story was told in previous episodes felt true and real and honest. The love Lancelot and Gwen shared was believable, and how the love story between Arthur and Gwen has grown over the last seasons has been dealt with wonderfully. This chapter in that love triangle was none of those things. It felt like a betrayal of all the work the actors and writers have put into the show and I really don't think that is acceptable.
I'm not even going to mention Elyan has basically washed his hands of his sister - after he more or less told her to remember her place (as a women) in the last episode I had little hope that they would treat their relationship in any better way.
ETA: If anyone can point in the direction of an fixit fic for this episode I would be hugely appreciative.
1) Any episode could be easily ended in the first act by Merlin wiggling his fingers and saying "shall I?" Arthur nodding in agreement, followed by Merlin doing his wonderful wordy thing and glowing eyes and then everyone can go to the tavern to celebrate another defeat of the (not so) big bad. Which would be funny but would make for a poor show.
2) This show lives on the angst that is caused by Arthur not knowing or not accepting magic can be good. Take that away and I'm not sure they know what stories to tell.
Both make me really sad, even though I love me some angst, because I think the stories the writers would be challenged to tell when Merlin is finally revealed and accepted by Arthur could be spectacular... could be all we ever wanted from the show and from the legend.
But more than just what can be done if the magic was revealed I think the damage that has been done by not revealing it is starting to hurt the show we have all come to love (and I do still love it). The secret is causing a rift between Arthur and Merlin that we had not seen before. A rift that I feel this season is becoming almost unbearable for Merlin. And into that Gwen, who is one of the only fully realized women on the show, has been sacrificed.
As for this episode, *sigh*. Let me just say I think Bradly, Angel and Colin were amazing. The latter two have been consistently good and Bradley has really shone for me this season. The material they had to work with this episode was the problem. Actually that's not right, the scenes they had together were great but the whole thing just didn't gel together for me. Santiago's Lancelot felt off in more way than one. I do not think this was the actor's fault and I do not think this can be easily explained by him being necromanced (it's a word, right?). There was something unbelievable about him.
The way this story was told in previous episodes felt true and real and honest. The love Lancelot and Gwen shared was believable, and how the love story between Arthur and Gwen has grown over the last seasons has been dealt with wonderfully. This chapter in that love triangle was none of those things. It felt like a betrayal of all the work the actors and writers have put into the show and I really don't think that is acceptable.
I'm not even going to mention Elyan has basically washed his hands of his sister - after he more or less told her to remember her place (as a women) in the last episode I had little hope that they would treat their relationship in any better way.
ETA: If anyone can point in the direction of an fixit fic for this episode I would be hugely appreciative.